Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-06-16

After firm foundation of mud IL
laid. almost any thing soft will do TO
help out the walls of the nest. such as
pieces of cloth. string. or newspaper
Four or five light-blue eggs are laid.
and fortnight later the delicate sky
colored shells have vanished. leaving
in their places cluster of yellow. gap
ing mouths
Now commences the real labor OF q
robins life; labor such As few would
ever guess. Mr.. Samuels tells US. in
his interesting book about birds. that .
young robin. kept in cage BY friend
Of his. ate each day an amount Of food
| equal to one third of its own weight.
which would be about sixty pounds OF
meat for man. When it was about
three weeks old. it ate sixty-eight angle
worms in a single day. and wanted
| more! Think of the exertions required
of the father and mother to earn an
homes: living for four or five of these
hungry little fellows!
Robins are very glad to have peck
at nice. ripe fruit now and then-look
| out for your cherries! But, after
all. they live almost entirely on grubs
and insects. If You want to know
what would happen should they all be
shot or driven away. read Longiellow 5
Birds of Killingworth."
1t is curious fact that young robins
have pretty, notified breasts. turning
to rudy orange as they grow older.
When about four weeks old. they find
home too small for them. They perch
on the edge of the nest; their mother
futtcrs to and fro before them, and
shows them that flying is a very easy
matter-if you only know how! At
lart the dumpy little things take cour-
age, and. with much trembling and
beating of heart, they launch their
small feathered boats upon the great
air-ocean. How delicious! 1t bears
them up! They are in frenzy of de-
light, and at the top peg OF self-respect
as they cling awkwardly to the messy
apple bough at least dozen feet from
home How small the nest looks now!
Who wants to go back? 1t requires
little urging for the second voyage.
But night comes on. 1t is very dark.
Great. cold drops of rain come paster-
ing down on the frightened brown
backs of four young robins, who wish
very much that they were at home.
Suddenly their timid chirping ceases;
they are quiet and know they are safe.
The dear. watchful mother has never
lost sight of them. and now is at their
side. She brings them food. she preens
their wet, uncomfortable feathers. she
hovers over them with warm. protect
ing wings. and twitters softly to them
in that sweet undertone of love that all
mothers know so well. So the little
ones are comforted, and. head under
wing. fall asleep.
Peacefully and happily the long
summer days pass by. Sometimes.
but not often. there is still another nest
full of children to feed and care for.
In city and country. from Greenland
to Florida. the cheerful whistle of the
robin is heard. The fruit ripens in the
orchard and the nights grow cold.
Some morning in early November the
sparkling white frost tells our CHEEKY
little neighbor that he must move to
his winter quarters. The warm, sum
ny. slopes of the South. the pleasant
grSEeS of Mexico and Guatemala. are
waiting for him. By the tenth of the
month there are only few robins left
in the Middle States and New England
sturdy fellows who have wrapped
their feathers about their ears, and,
choosing the deepest evergreen thick
cts for their home. will say all winter.
-HWis B. Alien. in ChristiSn Union